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REVIEWSPREVIEWS
Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London
Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (ACB 2), a follow-up to last year’s teen spy flick, heralds that time of year when sequels run amok in theatres. Frankie Muniz (of TV’s Malcolm in the Middle fame) returns in the title role of Cody Banks: a James Bond wannabe who is part of the CIA’s secret teen training programme.
A top-secret mind-control device has been acquired by a rogue agent and Cody must travel to London to ensure that it is not used as a tool for evil. Pretending to be a clarinet player for an international youth orchestra, he teams up with fellow agent Derek (the perpetually annoying Anthony Anderson) and Emily (the almost charming Hannah Spearritt); a Scotland Yard agent also impersonating a student.
ACB 2 is exactly what not to do in a sequel. Acting by the leads is a drag and the punch lines fail to make an impact. Maybe signs should have been posted along with the scenes where the audience was supposed to laugh. The premise of the plot hardly has anything new to offer.
The sequel only gives one the feeling of déjà vu. It’s definitely time for Frankie Muniz to grow up and not make movies that will earn him a place in the Hollywood Hall of Shame. —-Taimur Saleem
Mindhunters
Originality is a trait pretty much obsolete in Tinseltown. But that does not mean that some good cannot be extracted from a rehashed script. The new hi-tech slasher Mindhunters is ample proof of this.
Eight FBI recruits are left isolated on a deserted island used by Marines. Their task is to search and solve a serial killer mystery fabricated by Val Kilmer, who gives a convincing performance as their Spartan boss. Things go awry right from the start when the recruits start getting butchered. With no one else on the island except themselves, they start pointing fingers at each other, but the mayhem still reigns. After innumerable twists and plenty of body bags, this fast-paced spine-tingler comes to an expected end.
One of the glaring drawbacks of Mindhunters is the acting. Apart from seasoned campaigners like Kilmer, Christian Slater and L. L. Cool J who have relatively brief roles, the movie basically revolves around an unknown group of actors who manage to churn out mediocre stuff.
Director Renny Harlin has done better (Die Hard 2) and worse (Nightmare On Elm Street 4). This effort borders somewhere in between these two extremes. There’s plenty of action; bombs going off, people getting obliterated. All this is accentuated by efficacious swirling camera angles. With the lush print available in the market, it is definitely worth a peek. —Saqib Khan
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